Klekkende Høj is a

megalithic tomb A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...

on the island of Møn in

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

. It takes its name from its location near the village of Klekkende. "Høj" stems from the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...

word ''haugr'' (Swedish "hög"), meaning hill, mound or barrow.

Burial mound

The tomb is believed to date from the

Neolithic Age The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...

, ca. 5500-4800 years old, and is one of the best preserved of more than 100 burial mounds on the island. It is situated a short distance from the road between Tostenæs and Røddinge. The tomb is a

passage grave A passage grave or passage tomb consists of one or more burial chambers covered in earth or with stone, and having a narrow access passage made of large stones. These structures usually date from the Neolithic Age, and are found largely in Wester ...

, which means that the central chamber within the mound is reached by a connecting passage. Klekkende Høj is unusual in that there are two entrance passages running approximately parallel to each other, facing east. Within the mound is a central space running approximately north-south, which is divided through the centre by two large stones. One passage enters each half of the tomb. The entrance passages are approximately 7 metres long and sufficiently large for a crouching man. The central chambers are each approximately 4.5 metres long and larger, but not large enough for a man to stand. The chambers and passages are constructed from large stones set on edge, which support capstones laid flat across their tops. The whole was then covered by an earth mound.

Excavation

The tomb was excavated in 1797 by

Antoine de Bosc de la Calmette Gérard Pierre Antoine de Bosc de la Calmette, often referred to as Antoine de la Calmette, (21 September 1752 – 7 April 1803) was a Danish County Governor, geheimrat, and landowner. He is, however, remembered above all as an artist and la ...

, who was governor of the island. Fifteen men worked for a week to dig down into the tomb and remove some of the capstones so that the contents could be removed. Inside were a considerable number of human remains, flint weapons, clay vessels and

amber Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In ...

jewellery. These were sent to the

National Museum of Denmark The National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet) in Copenhagen is Denmark's largest museum of cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures, alike. The museum's main building is located a short distance from Strøget ...

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

. The tomb was then re-sealed. The tomb has since been entered again and is now open to the public via the passage entrances. The southern chamber was restored in 1987 to make it safe. At that time, the northern chamber was considered to be sound, but it was later found that the capstones were in danger of slipping off their supports. This was restored in 2002, and electric light was also installed for the benefit of visitors.Klekkende Hoj - Passage Grave in Denmark in Copenhagen (København)
/ref>

References

Bibliography

* Kjer Michaelsen, Karsten: ''Politikens bog om Danmarks oldtid'' (Copenhagen. 2002)

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Klekkende Hoj 1797 archaeological discoveries Megalithic monuments in Denmark Møn Buildings and structures in Region Zealand Tourist attractions in Region Zealand Archaeology of Region Zealand